Sugar Skulls are a traditional folk art from Central and Southern Mexico used to
celebrate Day of the Dead. Mounds of colorful sugar skulls are sold by vendors
in the village open air markets during the week preceding Day of the Dead.
Increasing numbers of non-traditional colorful candies such as decorated
chocolate skulls and other Halloween candies are now competing with the
traditional sugar skulls, which are becoming harder and harder to find in
Southern Mexico.

Many of
our mold designs were inspired by the famous Mexican woodcut artist, Jose
Guadalupe Posada (1852 -1913). We hope you enjoy making these sugar skulls for
your family, friends, Day-of-the-Dead parties, wedding showers & receptions.

Bride &
Grooms ("novios" in Spanish) are a popular theme for Day-of-the-Dead, as
marriage is a big part of the circle of life. Our Novio designs make great
chocolate wedding favors. The Lollipops can be made with 2 colors of chocolate
candy coating, covered with a cello bag, and tied up with festive ribbons. Novio
Bars can be wrapped in bright colors of tin foil and sealed with a custom
sticker naming the Bride & Groom and wedding date.

Making Chocolate
candies is a bit more complicated than making the traditional sugar skulls -
because if done properly, you must temper the chocolate - a difficult and time
consuming task. We won't give you the instructions here - but simply
google "Tempering Chocolate" and you'll find plenty of recipes.

Tempered Chocolate -
is too complicated to explain here! If you're interested in professional
chocolate making and using the necessary equipment, please check the internet or
buy a chocolate candy recipe book. Add cinnamon, coffee, vanilla, pecans or
chili for that special Oaxacan flavor!

Candy Coating Wafers
- are an easy to use, microwavable, meltable chocolate that is available at your
hobby or cake decorating shop. (Cello bags & sticks too) It uses paraffin to
harden the white or dark chocolate discs. Some taste better than others. Do not
cut your mold apart. Melt 1-1/4 cups of wafers in a Pyrex bowl in the microwave,
stir, and fill the candy mold skull indentations, neatly with a spoon. Knock
filled mold on counter to settle chocolate and let air bubbles escape. Place in
freezer for 30 minutes, then pop out like ice cubes.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS - Do
not cut mold apart. Melt 1-1/4 cups non-tempered chocolate bars or chips (we
prefer a yellow bag) in the microwave for 1 minute, then stir with a chopstick
or wooden spoon. Heat another 10 seconds if necessary to melt thoroughly. Spoon
into skull indentations, neatly. Drop and knock mold on counter top to remove
air bubbles. Place in freezer for 30 minutes, then pop out like ice cubes.
Non-tempered chocolate skulls are messy, melt easily & develops "bloom" as the
cocoa butter surfaces. Very important to refrigerate this kind of chocolate in
plastic covered boxes, layered with plastic wrap to reduce exposure to humidity.
Serve within 24 hours, directly from refrigerator! Chocolate skull novios look
great wrapped in large 6"x6"colored tin foil squares!

SUGAR SKULL RECIPE: (inedible folk art decorations only)
Just in case someone wants to make the Novios with the sugar skull mix, here's
the recipe, but they are much better made in chocolate as the fine detail is
hard to decorate. Step-by-Step Instructions and conversion tables are given in
our Sugar Skull Making
Instruction page.

Mix together well: 1 teaspoon Meringue Powder for every cup of granulated sugar
used. Sprinkle sugar mixture with 1 teaspoon water per cup of sugar used. (For
example: 4 cups sugar, 4 teaspoons of meringue powder then mix with 4 teaspoons
of water.) Mix well with hands until every bit of sugar is moistened (about 5
minutes). If your fingerprints remain when you squeeze the sugar in your hand,
it is ready to mold. It should feel like "beach sand." Meringue Powder is a
"Must" and cannot be omitted. To mold: Cut the card of skulls apart with
scissors, making sure to leave at least a 1" margin around the skulls. Mound
sugar into mold and pack mixture FIRMLY into mold. Use a straight edge (or
cardboard square) to scrape off the sugar until the back is absolutely flat.
Place a stiff cardboard rectangle over mold and invert immediately. Lift mold
off carefully. Air dry for approx 8 hours. When completely dry, continue
decorating your skulls with colored Royal Icing, sequins, glitter & colored
foils. Do not eat sugar skulls decorated with inedible items! Royal Icing (To
decorate non-edible skulls)

MIX: 1 pound powdered sugar and 1/4 cup Meringue Powder. Add 1/3 cup water. Beat
with an electric/stand mixer until icing peaks (about 9 minutes!). Keep in a
tightly covered container. DO NOT REFRIGERATE. Royal icing is a cement type
icing. It isn't very tasty, but it is strong, dries pretty and lasts. Use ONLY
concentrated paste food colorings (Not liquid food coloring from the grocery
store!) Mix icing with paste food color in disposable cups, then fill disposable
plastic pastry bags no more than 1/4 full. For decorating mini skulls, make
exceptionally tiny snips in the tip of icing bag.